Our history of diversity and inclusion in the workplace
We've been focused on diversity and inclusion in the workplace for over 15 years, and our commitment deepened in 2020. To truly meet the needs of our members, we needed to make sure our workforce and leaders understood the connection between racial equity and our purpose of better health care for all.
As we deliver on our purpose, we carry our emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) through to all roles in the company. Members often feel most comfortable working with someone who shares or deeply understands their background, community and challenges. We’re building a workforce that’s as diverse as those we serve. We’ve taken big steps to deliver on that promise to:
- Help leaders understand the role of DEI and its value to the company.
- Set measurable goals and holding ourselves accountable to DEI.
- Use recruitment and retention strategies for a diverse pool of talent.
Let’s talk about creating a diverse company
Having open and honest conversations about these topics isn't always easy, but it’s the right thing to do. We're including diversity in the conversations we have on our teams, in our meetings and in our work:
Expand
We've expanded our corporate panel policy to have three or more people who represent gender, racial and ethnic diversity.
Engage
We're offering a monthly series of “Conversations that Matter” for our diverse workforce to share unique perspectives and experiences.
Work
We're planning how we can have a more open environment for employees, members and the community.
Listen
We're turning to our employee networks for feedback on the images and language we use on our campaigns.
We drive DEI every day
Find out how our people, community efforts and partnerships help deliver better health care for all.
Workplace accomplishments
Leadership at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) continually seeks opportunities to improve our workplace. This includes compensation, hiring, promotion and benefits changes that support our diverse workforce.
Increased Wages
Raised our minimum wage compensation to $16 / hour.
Prioritized leadership diversity
Added DEI into our Talent Review process and increased transparency on how we identify and develop our company's future leaders.
Diversified teams
Surpassed our goal of hiring 30 women in IT in 2021 and continued to invest in partnerships to identify and attract diverse employees.
Introduced workplace discussions
Our “Conversations that Matter” and “Conversation Circles” let employees come together to address difficult topics.
Promoted an inclusive culture
Added a floating holiday and launched voluntary self-identification tasks to recognize and accommodate different religions, cultures and identities.
More ways we're fostering DEI
Workforce hiring
Hiring and retaining a diverse workforce is critical to our mission. We’ve continued to make major recent strides in our workforce diversity statistics:
- 51% employees racially / ethnically diverse
- 72% of employees are female
- 58% of leaders are women
Diversity in employee education
We’ve continued to launch various trainings and education opportunities to promote workplace diversity, equity and inclusion:
- Women in Insurance Initiative
- 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge
- IT Leadership And Diversity Development Experience Rotation (LADDER)
Employee networks
- African American/Black Employee Network
- TechNOW
- Veterans Network
- Women's Employee Network
- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Allies Network
- Young Professionals Network
- Go Green
- Caregivers Network
- Multi-Cultural Network
- For What's Next in Work and Life
- Flexible Work Network
DEI council
The DEI Council provides overall governance and strategic direction for both internal and external company DEI initiatives. Working hand in hand with the DEI Office, the structure of the Council has shifted to meet our long-term DEI goals in three key focus areas: people and culture, health care equity and community.
Join Blue Cross NC
Looking for company that embeds workplace diversity in its mission? Ready for a corporate culture where all social differences and ways of relating to the world are acknowledged and respected? Consider a career with us!
Blue Cross NC is always looking for diverse talent across our many company areas. In fact, we’ve made it a priority to hire and elevate individuals from diverse communities. When our workforce reflects the diversity of our communities, we can best serve them.
Point of Blue Blog
See our Point of Blue blog articles for our latest work to support diversity, equity and inclusion across our company and community.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability in its health programs and activities. Learn more about our non-discrimination policy and no-cost services available to you.
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